Popular Sikh leader gunned down in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Sardar Charan Jeet Singh, an active leader of the Sikh community in Peshawar, was shot dead by unknown assailants in his shop near the Kohat General Bus Stand, Kohat Road on Tuesday.

A police official said that Sardar Charan Jeet Singh was present in his shop when unknown motorcyclists opened fire at him, killing him instantly. The assailants succeeded in escaping unharmed, the official added.

The Peshawar police have registered a case and started investigation into the matter.

On the other hand, leaders of the Sikh community, Radesh Singh Tooni and Sardar Jitendra Singh, have confirmed the killing and termed it an act of terror. Radesh Singh said that it is astonishing that on the second day of the democratic government’s end, an active and popular leader of Sikh community had been shot dead.

Jitendra reminded that Charan Jeet was not only a leader of the Sikh community, he was also very popular and respectable amongst the Muslim community throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was an active member of different groups engaged in creating and promoting religious harmony and used to discourage militancy and terrorism.

After knowing about the assassination of their leader, a large number of Sikhs assembled at Lady Reading Hospital and Jogewara Temple in Peshawar.

Belonging to Tirah Valley of far-flung Khyber Agency, Charan Jeet shifted to Peshawar along with his other close relatives around two decades ago.